Improvement in potato-planters



` tion of my planter.

UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIGE,

LOUIS ADRIEN COUTEAU, OF LEONVILLE, FRANCE.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 149,278, dated March 3l, 1874 application filed January 28, 1874,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LoUrs AnRiEN GOU- TEAU, of the borough of Leonville, France, have invented a new and Improved Potato- Planter; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the ,art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure l shows a longitudinal central sec- Fig. 2 is a detached sectional view of the distributing mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the combination of a movable truck arranged on the frame of the planter for carrying the potatoes and delivering them 5 an inclined slide and rotating agitators for conveying the potatoes; a delivery-roller, which discharges them; anda distributing-tube, all of which will be hereinafter described. I

In the drawing, the letter A designates the frame of my planter, which is mounted on ordinary road-wheels B B, and on this frame is placed a small truck or box, G, also mounted on wheels or rollers, which run on sills of the frame, for receiving and carrying the potatoes. The bottom of this truck is formed of a ilexible apron, a, resting upon a series of rollers, D, one end of which apron is secured to or behind the truck C, while the other end thereof is secured to a roller, D', situated beneath said truck. On the shaft of the apron-roller D' is mounted a pulley, E, which connects, by a belt, b, with another pulley, F, the shaft of which receives a revolving motion through a gearwheel, F', mounted thereon, and which, by intermediate gearing, is connected with the rear axle or hub of the planter. When the apparatus or planter is set in motion the apron a winds up on its roller D', and, in consequence thereof, propels or drags along the truck C. By the ensuing diminution of the apron a space is cleared in the end and bottom of the truck, through which the potatoes fall or empty upon a slide, G, arranged next the rollers D in the frame A, and leading in an inclined plane to the rear end of the planter. This slide G is composed of a number of strips, arranged parallel to each other and at equal distances apart, so as to form longitudinal slots for the admission and working of agitators or paddles c, arranged under, and extending up through, the slide, said paddles rotating respectively on the shaft ofthe pulley F and on a shaft, H, situated in front ofthe pulley-shaft. This shaft H carries also a pulley that is connected by a belt with the pulley-shaft F. The slide G may be arranged so as to receive -a vibrating motion from the motion of the wheels of the planter;

in order to accelerate and insure the slidingv of the potatoes thereon. Said slide G empties upon the scoops of a roller or Wheel, I, which scoops are composed of sets of curved pins d, arranged to work or pass between the free ends of the slide. Each scoop or set of pins lift successively a batch of potatoes from the end of the slide G, which batch is then lodged in a cavity formed behind the scoops in the periphery of the roller, and being carried around by said roller the potatoes fall by their inherent gravity into the distributer J, hereinafter mentioned. The shaft of the roller I carries a gear-wheel that engages directly with a similar wheel keyed on the axle of the planter. The distributer or funnel J is situated beneath the delivery-roller I, and discharges at a short distance from the ground, or from the furrow formed therein by the furroWing-share K. Such discharge or outlet of the distributer J is covered up by a door, e, which is retained by a spring, acting on an arm, f, that extends on the rear end of such door. The door is made to open or close intermittently, or at intervals, so as to discharge each batch of potatoes in succession by means of a trip-wheel, L, Fig. 3, mounted on the pulley-shaft F, such trip-wheel acting upon one end of a beam, h, pivoted to the frame A, the other end of which beam is pivoted to, and actuates, a rod, M, connecting with the arm f of the distributer-door. K is the furrowing plow or share, and N N the covering-shares, each of which can be regulated, respectively, by hand-levers on the outside of the planter-frame, and within convenient reach of the attendant. The beam or brace O of the furrowing-share is connected with an arm, P, that is mounted on a rock-shaft, P', and arranged in a segmental cam-shaped guide, Q. 0n said rock-shaft P' is mounted also the handlever R of this furrowing-share, Fig. 2, which lever, together with the arm P, being keyed on the rock-shaft, each will partake of the motion, one of the other. Thus, by moving the lever R backward and forward, the arm P will eonform thereto, and, in consequence thereof, raise or lower the furrowin g-share through its beam. Eyes t' i are provided in this beam, and in the segmental guide, for the reception of a bolt or peg j, whereby the beam is held in position. The covering-shares N N, which are arranged on each side ofthe planter, are braced thereon by their beam S, that is pivoted to levers orv handles T, working, on a pivot, k, in segmental guides U. These guides U are provided with eyes l, and the handles T are provided with slots m, through which a bolt, u, is passed, so

that the covering-shares, through these handles, can be adjusted at any desired height or depth, while at the saine time, by reason of the slots m, the handles can be moved backward and forward, their motion being` transmitted to the covering-shares.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the movable truek or Witnesses: Y

H. BONNEVILLE, A. Ln GRAND. 

